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April 8, 2008 Town of Grant Monthly Board Meeting
Town of Grant Annual Meeting
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 ‑ 8:00 p.m.
Grant Town Hall
The annual meeting of the Town of Grant was held on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. at the Grant Town Hall, Caroline, Wisconsin. Thirty-nine residents, guests and board members were in attendance.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Richard Britzke and began with the Pledge of Allegiance.
The minutes of the 2007 annual meeting were read. A motion was made by Duwayne Radies and seconded by Jerry Malueg to approve the minutes as read. The motion was unanimously approved.
The annual report was presented for discussion. A motion was made by Duwayne Radies and seconded by Joanne Kostlevy to accept the annual report. The motion was unanimously approved.
New Business
911 signs: Chairman Britzke showed a sample of the new fire and emergency signs that will be located at each residence in the township. The new signs must be displayed according to a Shawano County ordinance to achieve uniformity throughout the county. The county will reimburse townships up to $15.00 per sign.
Shawano County Historical Society: Gordon Kopitzke addressed the residents regarding the work being done by the Shawano County Historical Society. He encouraged residents to become volunteers for the society. Volunteers work every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gordon recommended that action be taken to create a history booklet for the Town of Grant. He would be willing to assist anyone who might want to begin this project. Gordon also asked if the town would consider increasing the annual dues payment to the society to $100.00. A motion was made by Gordon Kopitzke and seconded by Rose Malueg that the Town of Grant support the Shawano County Historical Society through submission of an annual membership fee of $100.00. The motion was approved unanimously.
Burning permits: Joanne Kostlevy presented information about new regulations when requesting burning permits. Joanne stated that permits are now good for a period of one year and for anywhere in the state. A pamphlet it issued along with permits that explains the rules for burning in various areas throughout the state. Anyone who obtains a burning permit is responsible for reading the pamphlet and knowing the rules. Dave Krueger also added that it is best to inform the fire department when you are burning a large area to avoid an unnecessary fire call.
Conservation Club: A motion was made by Ken Huebner and seconded by Steve Verg to allow members of the Caroline Conservation Club to plant a tree in memory of Melvin Huebner on the town hall property. The motion was approved unanimously.
Wages: A motion was made by Tom Malueg and seconded by Karla Wepner to pay specialized part-time help, such as workers who plow snow, at a rate of $12.50 per hour and other part‑time help at the rate of $10.00 per hour for 2008. The motion was unanimously approved.
Town Website: Kay Blum inquired if residents would be interested in having a town website. The cost for the initial set-up of a website ranges from $299.00 to $995.00. The yearly domain name and maintenance fee are $310.00. Kay stated that she believes they can do the set-up for the lesser fee if she obtains a scanner. The town will be able to post the minutes, contact information, election notices, forms, ordinances, general information about the township and much more. A motion was made by John Henselin and seconded by Janis Radies that the town set up a website based on the lower cost and that the town purchase a scanner if necessary. The motion was unanimously approved.
County Supervisor: Jerry Erdman, County Supervisor representing District 21 and Ward 1 of the Town of Grant, spoke to residents about the county budget and other items of interest. He urged residents to contact him with any concerns they might have. One resident asked Mr. Erdman to speak to the county highway department about erecting some warning signs for Amish buggies.
Town Truck: The town dump truck is in need of several repairs that could run as high as $12,000. The truck has 90,000 miles on it. The board presented information on the cost of new trucks. A single axle truck cost approximately $110,000 while a tandem axle can run as high as $140,000. A tandem axle truck would haul bigger loads of gravel and salt-sand and would reduce the number of trips needed to re-load. Supposedly, the newer tandem axle trucks are easier to maneuver and turn on a sharper radius. The truck will come equipped to run on bio-diesel fuel so that it qualifies for purchase using the environmental impact money. The truck could be financed with $60,000 that has been set aside in a certificate of deposit, money from the town’s environmental impact fee payments, and the remainder from a loan to be repaid from the annual environmental impact fee. There would be no need to increase the levy to purchase the truck. A motion was made by John Henselin and seconded by Troy Malueg to leave it to the town boards’ discretion to purchase the new truck using the funding sources of the certificate of deposit, a loan, and the environmental impact money. The motion was approved.
Fire Tanker: John Henselin addressed the board and residents about the purchase of a new tanker for the Grant Fire Department. John estimated that a new tanker would cost roughly $190,000. The current tanker can haul 1800 gallons of water. A new tanker would carry 3000 gallons of water. It is critical to apply as much water as possible upon arriving at a fire and a new tanker would greatly improve that aspect of fire fighting in the township. There was concern expressed about the number of volunteers available to respond to a fire. Without volunteers, fire fighting will continue to be a concern no matter how much water you take to a fire. Additional discussion included using environmental impact money and a loan with a balloon payment to be covered with the annual impact fee payment. There is approximately $10,000 in a certificate of deposit for the fire department. There would be no increase in the levy to purchase a new tanker. A motion was made by Duwayne Radies and seconded by Joanne Kostlevy to purchase a new fire tanker for the Grant Fire Department and that the town board will be responsible for deciding how to finance it. A hand vote indicated that 36 voted yes and 0 no with 1 abstaining.
Plan Commission: Ken Huebner gave a brief update on the status of the town’s comprehensive plan. Upcoming events will include an open house to review and comment on the draft plan.
Environmental Impact fees: Residents were reminded about the impact money received as a direct result of the transmission line traversing our township. Some of the funds have been designated for dam repairs, a new town truck, a fire tanker, a portion of the cost for erecting the baseball diamond lights, and a tabulating machine. The town board suggested that an application form be created so that entities within the township could request money for environmental uses. A committee may be formed to follow through with this suggestion.
Road work: A motion was made by Lynn Hansen and seconded by John Henselin to allow the town board to make the decisions on the road work to be completed in 2008. The motion was approved unanimously.
Town Hall: Janis Radies suggested that the floor in the town hall should be cleaned and waxed.
Annual meeting date: A motion was made by Duwayne Radies and seconded by Aaron Malueg to hold the next annual meeting at the Grant Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday in April, 2009. The motion was unanimously approved.
Lunch: Residents were invited to stay for lunch and refreshments. Chairman Britzke thanked Premier Community Bank for their donation of $25.00 toward the annual meeting lunch.
Adjourn: A motion was made by Aaron Malueg and seconded by Mark Mielke to adjourn the meeting. The motion was unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Kay Blum, Clerk
Archive:
August 2, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting Minutes
July 5, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting Minutes
June 7, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting Minutes
May 19, 2010 Board of Review Minutes
May 5, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting Minutes
April 13, 2010 2010 Town of Grant Annual Meeting Minutes
March 11, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting
March 1, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting Minutes
February 9, 2010 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes
February 1, 2010 Grant Town Board Meeting Minutes